#History

When they came, there was nobody to speak out for me...

Julian Assange: exiled, imprisoned, convicted? After many years they came for him. What makes you think they won't be coming for you. If not for your personal freedom, then at least for your civil liberties. There is historical precedent.

A shift against impunity for genocide

Pretoria is challenging the Israeli government’s claim to innocence, which for far too long has allowed it to act with impunity against the long-suffering Palestinians. South Africa’s quite stunning intervention is bringing legal proceedings against the state of Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, under the auspice of The Genocide Convention.

Video blog about Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela is portrayed in the mainstream media as a peace-loving anti-apartheid revolutionary and philanthropist. But what is the truth about Nelson Mandela? The viewer is presented with a lot of facts, but do the facts lead up to the right conclusions?

Fascinating presentation on the origins of humanity

On the origins of humanity, ancient cultures and technology, modern-day implications, and possible future application. If what Mr. Tellinger is presenting holds truth, the ramifications of his statements are huge.

Please take the time to watch the presentation in full, and make up your own mind.

We all have been here before

Our world is replete with proofs of our progressive journey as a collective; traces of the places where we have been and how we have arrived at where we currently are. We all have been here before.

World War II, loss of life visualised

An animated data-driven documentary about war and peace, The Fallen of World War II looks at the human cost of the second World War and sizes up the numbers to other wars in history, including trends in recent conflicts.

When a switch in perspective turns paradigmatic

From vases to faces, from people, to the world. The brain can switch from seeing the world from one way to a completely different way. It may not be recognisable at first but when the brain does connect the dots, it can never go back from seeing the world in just one way. We then have renewed our mind.

Betrayal is the closing act in nearly all proxy wars

There are many ways for a state to project power and weaken adversaries, but proxy wars are one of the most cynical. Proxy wars devour the countries they purport to defend. They entice nations or insurgents to fight for geopolitical goals that are ultimately not in their interest. Chris Hedges on the war in Ukraine.

We whites

We whites are warriors… We whites are conquerors… We whites are murderers...  We whites are killers…

The speech credited as the inspiration for Bob Marley's hit song "War"

This story recounts the attempts of one mortal man and humanity at large to establish everlasting peace instead of waging perpetual war. A struggle of good over evil.

The right to self-determination

If we are under the perception that Africa’s problems are so huge, complex, and diverse. Where to start? How to establish real change? How to improve people's lives and futures? Thomas Sankara, President of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987, continues to live on in the memory of his people.

A shrewd politician, a visionary, or both?

As with most larger-than-life figures Pres. Nelson Mandela was controversial. We know of his achievements and follies. But what is his legacy? What will he be best remembered for?

A chronology of slavery throughout modern history

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. - UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948).

On book publishing and other affairs

Mr. Ali informs us on book publishing in Africa and his experiences in Europe in that field. When we shift themes, Mr. Ali unfolds his perspective on other matters like the digital revolution, secessionism, xenophobia, modern history, the role of governments, politicians, and intellectuals against an African-European backdrop.

Historical Truth

We, the people born between 1950-1980, we are the blessed ones. We are the awesome people. Our life is a living encyclopedia. We are also the last of a kind...

On the deeper meaning of (mis)information

When the facts are too hard for us to bear, fiction may provide us with a comfortable alternative reality. And yet there are circumstances where both fact nor fiction matter. Because they are both beside the point.

The age old legal debate on religious freedoms is still relevant today

When we think about or talk about ‘freedom of speech', people’s opinions are mostly pretty clear-cut. Yes, we should be able to speak freely about what is on our mind, regardless of the topic, as long as we don’t infringe upon another human being to that same basic human right. With regard to ‘religious freedom’ or the right to exercise religious beliefs, our conversations spark heated debate.

Privatizing the profits, socializing the losses

The added complexity of markets requires not only specialized skills but also fine-tuned morals from the people involved. When the profits are privatized and the losses are socialized, you should know something is wrong.